EfW biomass plant gains double ROCs approval

An energy-from-waste facility in Peterborough has received renewable obligation certificate (ROCs) pre-accreditation approval from Ofgem.

Artist's impression of the EnergyPark site

EnergyPark Peterborough, which is operated by Green Energy Parks (GEP), uses mechanical recycling, biomass gasification and plasma melting of air pollution control residues to create recycled product and renewable energy.

It aims to send zero waste to landfill and the park has, GEP claims, the potential to divert 750,000 tonnes of waste, instead using it to generate renewable energy, with the overall goal of changing how waste is dealt with in the UK.

According to GEP, months of research and development was conducted to gain Ofgem verification that fuels measurement and sampling procedure used at the park is "robust and reliable". This, GEP says marks a "big step forward for the project", which it claims "will challenge the way we deal with waste in the UK".

The scheme received pre-accreditation approval for the renewable energy it will generate under the current ROCs bandings for gasification and pyrolysis, at a level of two ROCs per megawatt hour of electricity produced.

GEP managing director, Chris Williams said: "This is a significant achievement in the UK's transition to a low carbon economy and moving closer to solutions that provide reliable, green energy for years to come.

"EnergyPark Peterborough will sustainably divert 750,000 tonnes of waste from landfill per year, at the same time as generating thousands of megawatt hours of renewable energy. In the UK we produce 280 million tonnes of rubbish per year - we have to act now to tackle this."